Gardening and Growing Food

Benefits of gardening

Gardening is positive for both your physical and mental health and it is also a great way to make social connections. Growing your own food can also add variety to your diet and increase your access to fresh produce.

Despite these benefits, there are some risks that gardeners should be aware of to ensure they can take appropriate steps to protect their health, especially when considering growing food. Review the following to understand possible risks of gardening and ways to address them:

Where to grow food

Some locations are not appropriate for growing food you plan to eat. In addition to existing soil contaminants, vehicle-associated road run-off, dust and particles, salt used in winter road maintenance, and pets and wild animals can introduce contaminants to soil and to plants. Before deciding on a particular spot, assess the location where you plan to garden and grow food for any site characteristics that may impact your garden.

Soil can sometimes be contaminated. Contamination is unwanted pollution of something by another substance such as germs, chemicals, or heavy metals. Only grow food in soil that is known to be clean and free of contaminants. If you plan to grow food directly in the existing soil, you should have the soil tested. Soil testing can be arranged through private analytical testing laboratories.

If you don’t know the soil quality and don’t plan to have it tested, you should limit growing food to raised garden beds and/or containers filled with clean soil mix.

If you receive an annual letter from the City of Ottawa because your property may have contaminants of health concern in the soil, follow the gardening tips provided in the letter.

Raised garden beds constructed of wood should only be built using untreated lumber. Treated lumber and creosoted timber (e.g., railway ties) can contain contaminants that leach into soil and groundwater and be taken up by plants. You should also place landscape fabric on the ground before you construct your raised garden bed. This will act as a barrier to stop clean soil mixing with the soil below and prevent plant roots from contacting the soil beneath the raised garden bed.

Containers can also be used to grow food. Containers must be constructed of a material that is appropriate for gardening and growing food (if applicable).

Planting in ground: If you are planning to plant directly in the ground, you can improve soil quality by adding a thick layer of organic matter to the soil. However, testing the existing soil for contaminants is still recommended.

Contamination of plants and soil

Soil can be contaminated from former land uses or by the introduction of new contaminants from nearby roads or other sources. Soil and plants can also become contaminated by airborne contaminants, such as soil dust or soil back-splash when it rains or when you water.

To protect your garden from contaminants:

  • Do not garden or grow food close to busy roads.
  • Cover areas of exposed soil with mulch, grass or other groundcover to keep down soil dust and tracking soil elsewhere and into the home on shoes or clothing.
  • Use clean soil. Do not repot soil from land that is known to be contaminated or of unknown quality.
  • If you are growing food, water plants using drinkable water. For other plants, use water that is clean. Collected rainwater being used to water plants should be stored in a clean container and it should not be contaminated by roof materials, animal droppings, or other pollutants.

You can be exposed to contaminants directly from soil (i.e., from unwashed hands or by eating unwashed produce) or by eating food that has been grown in contaminated soil. Be aware of ways food grown in your garden can be contaminated and don't consume it unless you are sure if it is safe to eat.

Choosing the right plants for your garden

  • Prohibited, invasive, noxious, and nuisance plants are not permitted. Please see these links for more information: Noxious weeds in Ontario | ontario.ca and Invasive species | City of Ottawa.
  • Not all gardens are appropriate for growing food. If you are not sure if the area where you plan to grow food is suitable, consider growing ornamental plants instead. If you do decide to grow food, consider the following:
    • Plants that produce vegetable fruits (e.g., tomatoes, squash, beans), berries, and, especially, fruit and nut trees take up less soil contaminants into their edible parts than do herbs, leafy vegetables, or, most of all, root vegetables.  
    • Root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes should not be grown in contaminated soil or soil of unknown quality.
  • Leafy plants might be harder to rinse clean of dust and soil compared to other plants so they should be washed carefully.
  • Cooking produce reduces the risk of pathogens which are germs that can cause infections, but does not remove contaminants, such as chemicals or heavy metals.

General Tips:

  • Keep an eye on small children as they are more likely to mouth things, increasing the chance of them ingesting soil.
  • Wash your hands with soap under clean running water after spending time in your yard, after handling unwashed produce, before preparing a meal, and before eating.
  • Assist small children with handwashing.
  • Wear gloves while gardening.
  • Wash all produce under running water, never in standing water in the sink or a tub.
  • After washing, always peel root vegetables and wash again before eating them.
  • Remove outer leaves of leafy plants before further rinsing and preparing them for eating.

Reducing Risk of Injury

Be mindful of the following safety risks to reduce the risk of injury:

  • Keep sidewalks clear. Do not leave hoses or gardening tools in places that could create a tripping or falling hazard. Make sure plants do not obstruct sidewalks to prevent tripping and falling hazards. To learn more about maintaining property adjacent to sidewalks, see the Use and Care of Roads By-law.
  • Be aware of your surroundings when gardening near roads. Be mindful of yourself and any children or pets on your property and the proximity to cyclists and vehicle traffic to avoid injury.
  • Potted plants can be quite heavy. Use care when lifting or moving containers or gardening equipment to reduce risk of injury.
  • Avoid getting a sunburn. Wear tightly woven clothing or clothing labelled as UV-protective and a wide-brimmed hat that shades your head, face, ears and the back of your neck.  Use sunscreen labelled "broad spectrum" and "water-resistant" with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30, on skin not covered by clothing. Apply sunscreen generously and reapply at least every two hours. Consider also wearing lip balm with SPF. See Sun Safety and Tanning - Ottawa Public Health for more information.
  • Wear close-fitting wrap-around sunglasses that offer complete protection against UVA and UVB, for example, lenses labelled “UV400” or “100% UV protection.” These may also help protect your eyes from debris while gardening.
  • Consider the risk of exposure to mosquitoes (anywhere in Ottawa) or ticks (if garden is adjacent to long grasses or natural areas), which may carry infectious diseases. Protect yourself from bites by wearing long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and socks and shoes to avoid exposed skin. Tightly-woven but loose-fitting clothing works best. Apply an approved insect repellent to exposed skin and to clothing. You can also protect yourself from ticks by tucking pant legs into socks and by doing a full body check of yourself after you return home. See Insects, Animals and Bites - Ottawa Public Health for more information.

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